Induction of brain microvascular endothelial cell urokinase expression by Cryptococcus neoformans facilitates blood-brain barrier invasion.

ABSTRACT: The invasive ability of the blood-borne fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans can be enhanced through interactions with host plasma components, such as plasminogen. Previously we showed by in vitro studies that plasminogen coats the surface of C. neoformans and is converted to the active serine protease, plasmin, by host plasminogen activators. Viable, but not formaldehyde- or sodium azide-killed, cryptococcal strains undergo brain microvascular endothelial cell-dependent plasminogen-to-plasmin activation, which results in enhanced, plasmin-dependent cryptococcal invasion of primary bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells and fungal ability to degrade plasmin substrates. In the present work, brain microvascular endothelial cells cultured with viable, but not killed, cryptococcal str

SUBMITTER: Stie J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3493525 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature